1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium (typically, on a sheet of recording paper) based on image data using, for example, electrophotography. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a large number of functions, allowing the user to easily select a desired function from the large number of functions.
2. Description of the Background Art
It has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use by a plurality of users. Further, the number of apparatuses having a plurality of basic functions (modes) such as a copy function, a facsimile function (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer function and a scanner function, such as MFPs (multi-function peripherals), is increasing.
In such a multi-function peripheral, each user selects a basic function (mode) and sets a function of duplex (two-sided) printing or collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), whereby images are formed on sheets of paper in a desired manner. Sometimes, a function is selected and for the selected function, a detailed function is further selected. In such a case, we may consider that the function selection menu has a hierarchy. Specifically, when a function of “color adjustment” is selected from a “special function” menu, a menu of a lower layer is displayed, and the user may select a detailed function from the submenu. Here, the menu of lower layer includes, for example, three functions of “RGB adjustment,” “color balance” and “background erasure.”
In order to meet various and many demands of users, recent image forming apparatuses come to have a larger number of higher functions. As a result, the image forming apparatuses come to have a huge number of functions, resulting in a complicated menu configuration (a hierarchical menu configuration as described above). Further, in addition to the hierarchical menu configuration as described above, a menu belonging to one layer may consist of a plurality of pages. In such a case, it is necessary to find a page having a desired function described thereon from among the plurality of pages and to designate the desired function on the page.
When such a multifunction peripheral (image forming apparatus) is used, for example, it is necessary for the user to perform the following operations. First, the user selects the copy mode. The user inputs image data using a scanner unit. Then, the user carries out various operations on an operation panel to designate desired functions, so that an image forming process (collection or the like) is executed and the result is printed by an image forming unit on a sheet of recording paper. Since the image forming apparatus comes to have higher and larger number of functions, it is necessary for the user to select a desired function from among a huge number of functions.
It is often the case that a user selects one function frequently. For such a user, a menu image (an image allowing selection of functions) includes display of many unnecessary functions. Therefore, the user feels it troublesome to select the desired function, possibly because many menu images including displays of unnecessary functions are displayed before the user reaches a menu image allowing selection of a desired function.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-13732 (hereinafter referred to as “'732 Reference”) discloses a method of display letting the user know that an icon indicating a program or indicating a combination of a program and data has not been used for a long time, in an information processing system such as a personal computer. According to the icon display method disclosed in '732 Reference, icons are displayed on a display screen. When a user selectively designates a displayed icon, information corresponding to the icon is designated. According to the display method, elapsed time after the last designation of an icon is measured. If the counted time exceeds a first specific time, the manner of display of the icon is changed, to give an alarm. Further, if the measured time exceeds a second specific time longer than the first specific time, the alarm-displayed icon is erased from the display screen.
According to the icon display method, the user can grasp information (icon) not used for a prescribed elapse time. Further, since display of an icon that is not used can be erased from the display screen, the display screen can be used efficiently.
The icon display method disclosed in '732 Reference, however, has the following problem. Specifically, the icon that is not used is eventually not displayed on the display screen. If the user wishes to use the icon again, it is necessary to form the icon again. In other words, simply by deleting information (icon) that is not used for a prescribed time period from the display screen, it is impossible to appropriately meet the demand of the user to use the icon again.
It is unclear whether such a method of icon display can be applied to selection of a function in an image forming apparatus that comes to have a larger number of higher functions. Even if it is applied, what is attained is only an erasure of a function that has not been used for a long time from the selection image. After the display of the function is erased, it is impossible for the user to select the function. Therefore, it is unclear if the application solves the problem of troublesome work in selecting the desired function by the user in an image forming apparatus. In addition, the application possibly leads to inconvenience for the user if he/she wishes to select the function.
If the number of icons (functions of image forming apparatus) increases, it becomes difficult for the user to determine, when an icon is simply erased from the selection image, whether the icon is erased or the icon is not erased but displayed on some other selection image. Therefore, the work of selecting a desired function is still troublesome for the user.